Twitter for Android received a small update this week, adding two important features that may affect the way users interact with the service.

The first of which is inline responses to conversations, so instead of tapping the “reply” button from within a Tweet, you can merely reply to it at the bottom of the screen. More importantly, Twitter has begun to outline and connect various tenets of conversations, so it’s much easier to see who in your timeline is chatting with someone else. This has the immediate effect of drawing one into the network as a real-time chat platform and not just as a string of half-duplex exclamations.

The second feature is the ability to send a Tweet to someone via direct message. While not a huge addition, this lets someone save and forward a piece of content privately, as opposed to retweeting it to everyone in his or her contact list.

Twitter added the first feature to the iOS app last week, and it’s good to see the company maintain its Android momentum in this regard.